How the TIF bid will impact on trains

GREATER Manchester has some of the most jam-packed commuter trains in the country. Just weeks ago the 8.14am from Urmston to Oxford Road was named and shamed by the Transport 2000 lobby group as being one of Britain's 10 most overcrowded services.

GREATER Manchester has some of the most jam-packed commuter trains in the country.

Just weeks ago the 8.14am from Urmston to Oxford Road was named and shamed by the Transport 2000 lobby group as being one of Britain's 10 most overcrowded services. It is operating at 75 per cent above capacity - meaning that for every four passengers who should be on, another three shouldn't. And it's far from alone.

Some long-standing physical problems can't be overcome - there is a limited amount of track and a limited capacity at key "hubs" like Piccadilly Station. What can help is new trains, and the TIF document lists a number of key routes in and from Greater Manchester where rolling stock would be bought. Those include Liverpool/Warrington, Liverpool/Newton, Buxton/Hazel Grove, Atherton, Blackpool/Bolton, Southport/Wigan, Blackburn, Hadfield/Marple, Huddlesfield/Stalybridge, Rochdale, and Macclesfield.

There are also plans to introduce or expand permanent park and ride schemes at key rail stations across the conurbation. Transport chiefs believe many people who would otherwise use the rail network are put off simply because they do not live close enough to walk to their nearest station. A number of railway station park-and-rides are already in place in Greater Manchester, but most have strictly limited spaces.

Passengers on all modes of transport, including rail, would also benefit from plans to build or upgrade a number of transport interchanges around Greater Manchester. Those are one-stop sites where people can quickly and easily change from one mode of public transport to another.

The TIF document specifically names Altrincham, Bolton town centre, Rochdale station, Stockport and Wigan as places that would be prioritised for major investment.